1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit board connector, especially to a flexible printed circuit board connector with a sliding cover capable of facilitating the insertion/release of a flexible printed circuit board therein/therefrom.
2. The Related Art
Nowadays, flexible printed circuit boards are widely applied in many kinds of electrical devices due to their high flexibility and thin structure. Accordingly, connectors for connecting the FPC boards to other electrical components of the electrical devices are mass-employed.
One example of the connectors of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Publication No. 2002/0106924 published on Aug. 8, 2002. The flexible printed circuit board connector has a block and a slider mounted on the block to define a space for receiving a printed circuit board. The connector further has a plurality of terminals disposed in the block and extended into the space for electrically connecting the printed circuit board. The slider is provided with locking portions at its front end and shaft portions at its rear end. The block is provided with anchoring portions at its front end to engage with the locking portions. The block is further provided with bearing portions at its rear end for rotatably supporting the shaft portions, thereby enabling the slider to be pivotal between an open position where it permits the printed circuit board to be inserted/released into/from the connector and a closed position where the locking portions engage with the anchoring portion to lock the slider to the block. In the closed position, the printed circuit board can be locked between the slider and the block.
However, the bearing portions and the shaft portions are designed that the shaft portions can be freely rotated in the bearing portions. When the slider is lifted to the open position to insert or release the flexible printed circuit board, the slider may be flipped down due to accidental hit on the slider, which disturbs the insertion or release operation and more badly makes the operator have to do the operation again.
Hence, an improved flexible printed circuit board connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.